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Mat Piché flipped more than 150 houses in Southern Ontario before making the move south about two and a half years ago. Today, 95% of his deals are vacant land in the US, bought at around 50 cents on the dollar, often without putting down a deposit.
Sarah Larbi and co-host Ryan Sweda sit down with Mat for a candid (and occasionally controversial) conversation about why he left the Canadian market and how his land business works. He shares the cross-border setup Canadians need to avoid paying tax twice, and what it really takes to get an E-2 visa. He also explains why he thinks mindset, not money, is the biggest thing holding Canadian investors back.
“The more offers we send, the luckier we get. The more numbers we call, the luckier we get. It’s not luck, it’s just volume.”
Mat Piché, Real Estate Investor and Land Flipper
Key Highlights & Timestamps:
- [00:00] Sarah and Ryan catch up: a delayed resort opening and the keep-or-sell decision on a midterm rental.
- [05:00] Mat’s background: 150+ flips in Kitchener-Waterloo and the move to the US.
- [06:30] Why Canadian deals dried up, and why his US team rarely pays more than 65 cents on the dollar.
- [09:00] Why Mat recommends land for new investors.
- [11:30] Why out-of-state land owners are unemotional sellers.
- [13:00] Using public data to build targeted seller lists.
- [17:00] A typical deal: buy 5 to 10 acres for $50,000 to $60,000 and sell for $100,000 to $120,000.
- [18:00] The double close: six-month closings, no deposit, and letting a realtor sell the land.
- [19:30] The real risks of the strategy and how to manage them.
- [22:00] A “subject to” deal in Tennessee with a 2.1% mortgage locked in.
- [23:30] Why rising rates barely touch the land market.
- [25:00] Avoiding double taxation: why Canadians should skip the LLC.
- [27:30] How the E-2 visa works (and why you don’t need employees on day one).
- [36:00] $25,000 a month in US marketing for 10 to 15 deals, compared to about one deal a month in Canada for $30,000.
- [39:00] Hitting every lead three ways: cold calls, mail and Facebook ads.
- [41:00] The biggest obstacle for Canadians: thinking like a small-time investor instead of a CEO.
This episode has been brought to you in part by:
Ryan Carson, Carson Law – https://www.carsonlaw.ca/ or email ryan@carsonlaw.ca
Matt Pickering, National Bank matthew.pickering@nbc.ca
Connect with Mat Piché:
- Mat’s website – https://www.matpiche.com/
- Follow Mat on Instagram
- Watch Mat on YouTube
- Join Mat on Facebook
Resources Mentioned:
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode and content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered professional financial, legal, or investment advice.
